To be seated at a Sephardic table is to bare witness
to centuries of a mesmerizingly rich cultural heritage
overflowing with traditions and festivities, symbols and
superstitions, stories and insights, fragrances, tastes
and culinary secrets - all handed down from generation
to generation around the ever-present Sephardic feast.
Following the expulsion of the Jews in 1492 by King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, Sephardic Jewish
communities spread to new shores bringing with them
their rich gastronomic heritage from Moorish Spain which
naturally evolved into a wonderfully complex fusion of
flavours incorporating Ottoman Turkish, Greek, Hispanic,
African and other influences. Deeply inspired by her
roots and constantly immersed in its traditions, author,
artist and Sephardic cuisine expert Stella Cohen has set
out to record the legacy of this vibrant, fascinating
yet vanishing world for posterity and tell the story of
her own family's cultural journey from Rodos (where her
great-grandfather Haham Yaacov Capouya, was the esteemed
sage and Rabbi of Rhodes) to Rhodesia (today known as
Zimbabwe) where she has raised her family to continue
the traditions as passed on to her. In 1986, ''Sephardic
Cuisine'' by Stella Cohen, a humble spiral bound
cookbook, was independently published under the auspices
of the Sephardic community of Zimbabwe and quickly
became an international success, being reprinted many
times over. For more than ten years, Stella has worked
at revising and extending the original to include a more
thorough exploration of the age-old subject and the
techniques and traditions around it. Stella's Sephardic
Table is a treasure trove of inspiration for the soul,
filled with over 250 sumptuous easy-to-follow recipes,
all lavishly illustrated and garnished with anecdotes,
Ladino sayings, essays and rare insights into
family-cherished tips and tricks traditionally passed
from mother to daughter. |
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